This spring, Cape Town and surrounds will be buzzing with not-to-be-missed events you can look forward to when planning a trip to the Western Cape. From music festivals to whale watching and wildflowers, there’s something for everyone
Darling Wildflower Show: 20 to 22 September 2019
The Darling Wildflower Show, under the theme “Carnival of Flowers”, celebrates its 102nd anniversary in 2019. Darling, a small town located 70km north of Cape Town along the West Coast, is part of the Cape Floral Region.
Visitors to this year’s wildflower show can expect to experience a kaleidoscopic display of brightly coloured flowers in all shapes and sizes. The West Coast is home to more than 1 200 species of flowering plants, of which 80 are endemic to the area.
Cost: Tickets are R70 for adults, and R50 for pensioners and children aged seven to 18, while kids six and younger enter for free.
For more information, contact +27 (0)84 916 1111 or email info@darlingwildflowers.co.za.
Hermanus Whale Festival: 27 to 29 September 2019
The Hermanus Whale Festival is the only eco-marines festival in the country. Now in its 28th year, the three-day festival takes place around the Hermanus Waterfront.
Southern right whales undertake an annual migration from the freezing temperatures off Antarctica, reaching the shores of Hermanus around June, where they find a home until December, mating and raising their young.
The three-day festival allows visitors to experience nature in all its glory, as these waters also play host to other marine mammals, such as dolphins and humpback whales. Apart from land- and boat-based whale watching, festivalgoers can look forward to live music, vintage-car shows, a street parade, food stalls, arts and crafts, a kiddies’ movie house at the Whale Museum, and the warm hospitality of the friendly locals
Cost: Prices vary depending on your pick of activities during the three-day festival. For more information, phone Leon at +27 (0)71 606 3261 or email festival@hermanus.co.za.
!Khwa ttu Heritage Festival: 21 to 24 September 2019
The !Khwa ttu Heritage Festival celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of the San people of South Africa. September is Heritage Month in South Africa, and the four-day festival highlights some of the traditions of the first inhabitants of the nation.
The festival takes place at the !Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town’s CBD.
This family-friendly event is ideal for young and old visitors alike. Apart from guided tours of the heritage centre, there will be food stalls with traditional San food and home-made herbal tea tastings; talks on San culture and heritage; tractor rides and animal tracking; San-inspired treasure hunts for the kids; face-painting; and San language lessons.
Cost: A one-day adult ticket is R70 (two kids under the age of 18 can enter for free on that ticket, too); pensioners pay R50 per person.
For more information, phone +27 (0)22 492 2998 or email info@khwattu.org.
Rocking the Daisies: 4 to 6 October 2019
Rocking the Daisies is one of the Western Cape’s most anticipated music and lifestyle events. It takes place at the stunning Cloof Wine Estate, located between the small towns of Malmesbury and Darling, just off the R315 on Mamre Road.
This year’s line-up includes dozens of performers, including The 1975, SA house music legend Vinny Da Vinci, Australian indie musician Tash Sultana and internationally acclaimed rap star Sho Madjozi, among many other acts from South Africa, Nigeria, the United States and the UK.
Camping options include Daisyland, which provides luxury tented accommodation, en-suite toilets and showers, breakfast and private parking. In the general camping, ladies’ and priority sites, festivalgoers need to bring their own tents and bedding. General camping provides access to toilets and showers, while priority and ladies’ camping sites offer access to exclusive toilets and showers, washing basins and charging areas with plug points.
Cost: Phase one and phase two tickets are sold out. Phase three tickets cost R995 per person (excluding a camping pass). Camping costs range from R225 for general camping to R545 for ladies’ and priority camping. Daisyland luxury tented accommodation costs (accommodates two people) range from R2 195 to R11 995.
For more information, contact + 27 (0)21 461 9822 or email hello@rockingthedaisies.com.
Cape Town International Kite Festival: 26 and 27 October 2019
The Cape Town International Kite Festival is an annual two-day festival hosted by Cape Mental Health, a non-profit organisation working with persons with intellectual disabilities from resource-poor communities.
The festival, now in its 25th year, is the biggest of its kind on the African continent and takes place in Muizenberg. Festivalgoers can look forward to spectacular kite exhibitions (including stunt kites and kite fighting), as well as free kite-making workshops, food stalls and live entertainment.
Cost: Tickets cost R40 per person (R15 for kids 12 years and under). There’s a family package available for R110, which allows entrance for two adults and two kids under 12. All proceeds from this event will go to Cape Mental Health.
For more information, contact +27 (0)21 447 9040 or email info@cmh.org.za.